vi, 270 pages, 39 variously numbered pages ; 25 cm

"Before there was economics, there was political economy, an interdisciplinary adventure boldly and critically seeking to understand capitalism. Over time, the social sciences evolved into specific disciplines--economics, sociology, political science--that less often questioned capitalist perspectives and the state. This accessible and hopeful book is a call to everyone--citizen, student, public intellectual--to revive the critical edge and ask if capitalism provides a society that promotes the well-being, indeed the survival, of humanity. It contrasts three traditions--neoclassicism, Keynesianism, and neo-Marxism--tracing the historical development of each and evaluating whether it views capitalism as the root cause of or the solution to the pressing problems now facing humanity, including war, poverty, racial and sexual inequality, and environmental crisis." -- Publisher's website

Includes bibliographical references and index

Part I: Why Political Economy? -- 1. Economics Lost: Why We Need Political Economy -- 2. Social Sciences Found? Political Economy and the Sociological Imagination -- Part II: The Three Paradigms -- 3. The Neoclassical Paradigm -- 4. The Keynesian Paradigm -- 5. The Neo-Marxist Paradigm -- Part III: Political Economy and Contemporary Issues -- 6. Inequality -- 7. Democracy -- 8. Individualism versus Community -- 9. Globalization -- 10. Environment and Climate Change -- 11. Education -- 12. Race -- 13. Gender and Family -- Part IV: Conclusion -- 14. The Sociological Imagination, the New Economics, and Saving the World

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